Curse
by wolf's paradise
Summary: Grimmjow had just been given a chance to see a demo of the canine unit at the military base close by. But he didn't expect to meet a dog that won't get out of his head and ends up saving his life, only to turn…human. God, he had to be going insane...
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** After experiencing this myself, I felt the desire to tell others. It was amazingly fun being chased down by attack dogs if I may say so myself. Of course, the twist on this story is mine, though I must say that _Zevllyn_'s third GrimmIchi story sparked the "shifting" idea of this story. I figured I should mention that because I did not want to deal with possible accusations that I copied a story. But I also want to acknowledge the person behind which part of my story revolves.

Hope everyone enjoys my latest story =).

**Disclaimer:** Don't own. Just own the experience and my own thoughts.

**Summary:** Grimmjow had just been offered to see a demo of the canine unit at the military base close by. But he didn't expect to meet a dog that won't get out of his head and ends up saving his life, only to turn…human. God, he _had_ to be going insane...

Chapter One

"Seriously? How the fuck did you manage that?"

Grimmjow frowned. "It's not that hard. Ylfordt said I could do it."

The tall man standing across from Grimmjow scoffed. "Yeah, and the only way he could get this whole thing rigged is to practically beg his younger brother to make a few calls and presto, the former gang member is allowed on military property."

"Fuck you, Nnoitra. The guy happened to offer."

"Yeah," the tall man named Nnoitra snorted. "Whatcha promise him in return, kitty?"

"I didn't promise Szayel anything," Grimmjow snarled, lips curling at the nickname and the thought. There was absolutely no way he would ever promise Szayel anything, or owe him anything, because what that crazy man would want in return was something that he would never do, even if he had five lifetimes.

Szayel was just Szayel, a very strange man with strange pink hair and glasses. It wasn't necessarily the way he looked, but the way he held himself, and the way he talked, was strange. Then again, he was very smart, but it wasn't normal for someone to take such insane pleasure at taking things apart. Even if they were nonliving things. And _especially_ if they were living things. Plus, he knew that Szayel would want something more than sexual, distorted and strange and something that was definitely not Grimmjow's style.

Nnoitra smiled widely. "Good. I'd have to shoot ya if you did."

"How did you ever get into the military?" Grimmjow groaned.

"Che, what the fuck're you talkin' about? I work here cause I get sent out so much. Besides, it's fun to rip 'em up. Wish I could do it myself, but the dogs work just fine," Nnoitra explained, smile growing.

Grimmjow shook his head. "Just shut the fuck up, Nnoitra. You talk too much."

"Shit, Grimm, where do you get off tellin' me what to do? I can talk just as much as I fuckin' want to," Nnoitra said, lips pulling down in a frown.

"Such a dirty mouth, Nnoi," Grimmjow grinned.

The tall man smiled again. "What can I say? I learn from the best."

An impossibly wide grin spread Grimmjow's lips as he stuck his hands in his pockets and looked through the few pieces of hair falling over his eyes. "Damn straight."

"Ah, who do we have here?" came a strange, overly-cheery voice.

Grimmjow turned, staring at the man in front of him. For a military officer, he sure was dressed strangely. Over a jade t-shirt and green camo pants was some form of dark olive haoir. The man's hair was blonde, but on top of his head was a funny-looking green and white striped hat, and the latter half of his face was blocked from view by an open fan. Grimmjow just blinked, staring.

"Yare, yare," the man sighed, his voice playful but slightly scolding. "So rude. I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Sergeant Urahara Kisuke, manager of this wonderfully run-down facility."

"Uh-huh."

Urahara turned to Nnoitra. "Talkative, this one."

"You have no idea," the tall man grinned. Grimmjow glared, lip lifting in a silent snarl. Urahara laughed quietly, mouth still hidden behind his fan.

"Well, you must be Grimmjow Jeagerjaques. I'll show you around our facility, and in a moment, if you wish, you may get bitten."

At that, a smile crept onto Grimmjow's face, and he murmured, "Hell yeah."

"Follow me, then," Urahara smiled, letting the fan slip a bit as his grey eyes glinted. "You're welcome to accompany us… _Private_."

"Che," Nnoitra sneered, but other than that, he didn't make a sound. He followed behind the two quietly as Urahara led them inside the small building. Sitting at a small table to the right were two officers – a man with long, bright red hair pulled into a ponytail and a very short and petite dark haired woman.

They looked up from their apparent card game, the woman narrowing her eyes and the man widening them. Grimmjow fought the urge to glare, but he knew why they were so surprised. It wasn't every day that someone with blue hair waltzed onto a military base to see a demo on attack dog procedures.

The blond man pointed at them with a wave of his fan. "These are two of our officers: Abarai Renji is the one with obscenely bright hair that he refuses to cut no matter what the rules say, and this is Kuchiki Rukia."

"Oi, oi!" the one with the red hair – Abarai – blurted, clearly annoyed. "You have no right to talk about my hair! What about Yoruichi-sama? Or even this guy! His hair is fucking _blue_. That's a lot brighter than mine."

"You better watch your mouth," Grimmjow growled, jaw clenched. He did not like it when – no, scratch that – he _hated_ it when people commented on his hair.

Abarai's eyes narrowed. "What're you gonna do about it?" he challenged.

But Grimmjow didn't do what Abarai had expected. Instead, a wild grin burst across the blue haired man's face as he leaned onto his toes, excitement beginning to thrum through his veins. Knowing his history, this probably wasn't a good idea, but he was itching for a fight, and this was a perfect opportunity. And he knew just how to get the redhead to agree. He only hoped he could sway the idiot into the topic he wanted.

"Tell you what, pineapple," Grimmjow started, his smile widening when he saw the officer stiffen at the nickname. "Why don't you pick something we can both do, and we'll settle it there."

Nnoitra scoffed. "Jesus, Grimm, what the fuck're you doing? There ain't no dogs here you've trained and you're a terrible shot."

Oh, god fucking bless Nnoitra. "Shut the fuck up, Nnoi."

"Ah, Abarai-kun, aren't you one of the best shots in this division?" Urahara mused, spreading that damn fan again and hiding (what Grimmjow guessed) was a crazy smile. Seriously, Grimmjow was really starting to hate that fan.

The woman shot a harsh glare at the redhead. "Renji…" she warned, but the spiky haired officer wasn't paying attention.

"All right, you're on," he said confidently. "We'll go to the shooting range when you're done getting bit."

"Now, now, Abarai-kun. Remember proper grammar!" Urahara corrected enthusiastically, and Grimmjow raised his eyebrow, looking at Nnoitra. The tall man just shrugged, scratching his head.

"That's just how he is."

"So he's not high."

Nnoitra shrugged again. "Who the fuck knows?"

"Language, _Private_," the blond man said again, and while his voice still sounded like its lilting self, Grimmjow heard the hidden command and seriousness.

Abarai started to scoff, but the woman across from him silenced it with a swift (and painful-looking) punch to his arm. "Ow, ow! What was that for, Rukia?"

"Apologize, you oaf," she huffed.

Grimmjow threw his head back and laughed, mirth shining in his blue eyes as he looked at Rukia. "I like you."

A slim eyebrow arched. "Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"

He laughed again. He liked her cheek. "Take it any way you like."

"I'd take it as a compliment, Kuchiki," Nnoitra chimed in.

She huffed again, turning back to her cards, and Urahara pulled their attention back to the tour. "Those two are both dog handlers and in charge of some of the best ones we have here. Kuchiki-san actually handles our best dog. But I'll tell you more in a moment. This way, please."

Sparing one last glance at the two handlers, Grimmjow followed, listening as Urahara explained the daily routines for most of the dogs, how their weight was taken daily, as well as recording just how big food portions were or every single time they were given medication. It was really quite interesting, and it was something that Grimmjow would have done if he'd had the chance, but duty called.

Before he knew it, his family had died in a crash and he didn't have any other relatives he knew of, so he had gotten everything – the house, the cars, the money, and the family business, the one thing he didn't want. He supposed he shouldn't complain. He made a good living, and while he knew he had a mind for business, he wanted to do something more exciting. If the choice could be his, he'd live in a cabin on a thousand or so acres with just himself and his trusty dog. Land that large was considered self-sustaining, so he'd be able to have his nice stash of guns and rifles and hunt to his heart's content.

Maybe he'd have a cat. He had a soft spot for them, but they definitely weren't like dogs. They liked to keep to themselves, but a dog would go anywhere with him, and it was just nice to have _quiet_ company.

Unlike Nnoitra. Stupid talkative fucker.

"Here we are!"

Grimmjow blinked, mind coming back to the present and finding himself in a fairly spacious room with two rows of kennels. The walls separating the dogs were cinder block while the gates were simple, mesh fencing, each holding a picture of the dog next to two nametags, one for the handler's name and the other engraved with the dog's name.

They passed by a few kennels, Urahara pointing out each dog until he stopped at another cage close to the end. "This is Renji's dog Zabimaru. He's one of the best dogs we have here, and the most fearless. He's excels at attacking, but unfortunately is getting on in years. He's about seven or eight, so he should be retiring within the next few years."

"What kind of dog is he?" Grimmjow pointed. He knew dogs, but not this one.

It was definitely a weird looking mutt. He had seen a lot of dogs in his day, but if he were honest, the dog looked like a miniature hyena. The front of his legs were all black until just below his chest and belly, and his muzzle, half of his face, and the top part of the underside of his neck were black as well. The rest of the body was brown-ish tan, the tail and belly lightening to tufts of cream. Across his shoulders were miniscule lines of sable, like he was half brindle with markings resembling intricate tattoos.

"Ah, yes. Funny looking dog, hmm?" the blond man asked, but when Grimmjow just sent him a look, he smiled and hid behind the fan again. "Actually, he's a Belgian Malinois. Normally they don't have so much black, but then again, Zabimaru is a funny one. He, of course, is fine with me because I originally trained him until Renji got him when he was two and a half, but he really just likes Renji."

Nnoitra bent closer, taking a closer look at the dog. "Hey, mutt," he mocked, moving his hand toward the fence. Apparently, Zabimaru took great offense to that, because he lunged, jaws snapping and fierce growl in the back of his throat.

"Oh, and Grimmjow-san," Urahara murmured, not looking at him but at Nnoitra standing farther back from the cage and muttering curses to the dog. "Just in case you didn't know, please don't try to touch the dogs."

"Che," Grimmjow chuckled wryly. Of course, leave it to Nnoitra to do something stupid like that.

Urahara continued to the next kennel, leaving Nnoitra to duke it out with the Belgian Malinois that had now started barking. The blond haired man sighed after a moment, scolding Nnoitra before calling, "Hai, hai, Zabimaru! Hush, please!"

There wasn't anything different to Urahara's normal voice, but the dog quieted, slipping his paws off of the fence, eyes still trained on Nnoitra. "Ah, and this is the squad's best dog Mamoru."

"Mamoru?" Grimmjow questioned, eyebrows rising at the name. It meant defender, or someone who protected. Most of the other dogs they had passed had names with fiercer meanings – like Zabimaru meant snake tail. So to have such a simple name confused him.

"Hai, Grimmjow-san! That is one of his best aspects, hence his name. Mamoru defends his handler with his life, and doesn't hesitate to attack should the need arise. Sometimes he is hesitant to run someone down, but he's the best at guarding as well as sniffing out drugs. He's about thirteen, and ready to retire, though I am sad to see him go."

Grimmjow looked into the cage this time, eyes landing on a well-built, normal-looking German shepherd. This one had more black on his face and back, but when it faded into the soft, tan fur, it looked almost orange. He had never seen a German shepherd with orange fur before.

But the more he looked, the more he could tell that something was different. It was the eyes, staring at him as if they knew so much more than he did. They were a rich chocolate brown, and against Urahara's previous comment, Grimmjow stepped closer to the fence.

The dog's entire body tensed, but his head stayed on his paws, and Grimmjow let a large grin cover his face. This dog definitely had good control, but it just made him want to break it. Zabimaru was obviously touchy about others close to his cage, and it just made Grimmjow view the dog as one that was too overzealous. But this one… He could tell the dog didn't want anyone near him, but he was controlling himself.

How interesting.

"These are my dogs," Urahara continued, but Grimmjow didn't look right away. He placed his hand on the mesh fence and let it drag across, laughing at the response he got from the dog.

Mamoru's whole body jerked, lips writhing over teeth as a low growl rumbled in the dog's throat. It looked like those eyes were burning with fire, when before they had looked bored and annoyed.

"Are you quite done, Grimmjow-san?"

The blue haired man smirked. "Just havin' a bit of fun."

"Well, please stop taunting Mamoru." Grimmjow shrugged, gave a last parting glance and wide smile to the dog before actually hearing what Urahara was saying and looking at the dogs to which he was pointing. "These are my two. This one here is Benihime. We've done work together for God knows how many years, and she never seems to tire."

She was a German Shepherd, too, with bright, intelligent eyes and more tan than black on her body. Grimmjow snorted. "Crimson Princess, eh? How'd she come by that name?"

Urahara smiled, but there was something strange in it that made Grimmjow wonder if this man really was high or not. "Ah, yes. Well, she was in training with one of the other men from the squad. She didn't care for him much – or his training methods. She was quite the princess even at a young age. She never wanted to be coddled too much or touched, but she was so picky about everything – and still is," Urahara chuckled.

"But many of us were out training that day when the trainer had her attack one of the men. When he tried to pull her off, she turned and bit his arm. There was only a little bit of blood since she was about one or so and still young, but of course, it still hurt. And as anyone knows, biting the handler is a big no no, so they were going to put her down until I volunteered to work with her. And the rest, as they say, is history."

Grimmjow faced the blond man. "That's it?"

"Well, it was actually a little after that that she got her name. But we had a young one here that was much too excited. I was working with him and letting Benihime put him in his place when he did something terribly wrong." Urahara's eyes glinted. "He nipped her."

Grimmjow's eyebrows rose. "And?"

The man flipped his fan closed. "She killed him."

He definitely hadn't been expecting that. Grimmjow had assumed it had something to do with blood, but he didn't think the damn dog would have killed another dog. Still, while he didn't expect it, he actually found himself respecting the female. He gave a slight nod of his head.

"Damn good dog," he muttered. Benihime's tongue lolled out of her mouth, and Grimmjow laughed. "Smart, too."

Urahara flicked his fan open. "Oh, you have no idea," he murmured, and turned to the last kennel on the row. "And this is Sode no Shirayuki. Fits her, don't you think?"

There was no way Grimmjow would disagree. She was a pure white German Shepherd with light eyes, like something between a brown and lavender, but she merely sat in her cage, eyeing the two men with mild disinterest.

"Once Mamoru is retired, Sode will go to Rukia," the blond man explained further. "She's only two right now, so until Rukia is free to get another dog, Sode is stuck with me, eh, girl?"

The dog perked up, white ears flicking for a bit before she calmly placed her head back over her paws.

It only took five more minutes to go through the rest of the kennels before Urahara led Grimmjow and Nnoitra outside. For once, Nnoitra was being quiet, and it wasn't like the blue haired man was complaining. For the most part, Nnoitra could be a nuisance, but he knew that there was no better friend, or none more loyal. Once you had Nnoitra's trust, it was fierce and deep, but there was no getting it back if it was broken.

Of course, it helped that they had grown up together, but Grimmjow let the thoughts slip his mind. No use thinking about that at the moment.

Urahara led him to a small, enclosed training field a short walk away from the main building. From the voices quietly chatting, at least two people were already there. Grimmjow listened.

Two men, one woman. The woman… He'd say short, and with the way her voice rose she had fire for a temper. One tall man, one shorter, but both of their voices were soft. Grimmjow grinned when the three came into view. Oh yeah, he still had it.

Starrk was sitting on one of the couches, head against the back and staring up at the ceiling, eyes closed. His subordinate Lilynette was poking him in the side, obviously angry at his lack of enthusiasm. And Ulquiorra was leaning quietly against the wall, no emotion on his face.

"Grimmjow," the quiet, emotionless man nodded. Grimmjow sent him a nod back, then turned to the other two with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey, Willow," he chuckled, watching as the girl huffed but couldn't keep the edges of her lips from quirking into a smile.

"Must you call her that?" Starrk groaned, bringing his chin parallel with the floor and raising his eyebrows lazily. His hair was messy and disheveled just like always, but it was good to see another old friend. A twinge of regret and jealousy stung in Grimmjow's chest for a moment. They had all gotten the lives they wanted…

No. He would _not_ think of it like that. His situation had just…happened.

"Of course," Grimmjow answered. "She was so puny when I first saw her, like a tiny willow branch, and just as breakable."

"Oi! Don't fucking call me breakable, bastard!" she screamed, blond hair looking frazzled in her anger. "I can take care of myself as you know!"

"Ah, Lily… Not so loud," Starrk moaned, rubbing his head.

She huffed again. "You, Mr. Lazy-good-fer-nothing-wolf king, need to wake up and do your job."

Grimmjow laughed. "Didn't know you were so whipped, Starrk."

Starrk just scoffed, but his eyes narrowed dangerously. After a moment, he sighed as if being angry took up too much of his energy, and patted the sofa cushion next to him. "Eh, just come sit down already, Lily."

Urahara chuckled as Lilynette obeyed but stomped the whole way there. He turned to Grimmjow. "As you know, I'm sure, Ulquiorra and Starrk are stationed elsewhere, which is why their dogs Murciélago and Los Lobos aren't with them."

Nodding at the information, Grimmjow turned to Ulquiorra. Urahara probably wouldn't know what he was talking about, but Grimmjow had to know. "Yammy?" he asked quietly.

"You know him," Ulquiorra shrugged. "He loves to push his weight around."

Of course. It meant Yammy was in the army, or at least in a police force where he could fight. "Hallibel?"

"Currently stationed with me and making the rounds with Tiburón."

"Aaroniero?"

"Medical, I believe."

"Zommari?"

"Deceased. Killed in action."

Well, damn.

Grimmjow rubbed the back of his head. He needed to keep more in touch. He hadn't even known about Zommari or any of the others – just the ones that had been closer to him. But that was an obligation of his; though it may have been in the past, it was still an obligation. He owed them that much.

"Aah, Grimmjow, you made it!"

No need to see who it was. The voice was one he could recognize even if it was on one of those distortion programs that made it harder for police to track the person.

"Szayel," he murmured, turning around to see the pink haired scientist with someone else next to him. Oh, right, he remembered now. The dark-haired man with glasses was Ishida…something, and was also part of the canine unit with his black Dutch Shepherd named Quincy. Szayel had mentioned him and Ishida being "together" numerous times.

"In the flesh," the man giggled – and Grimmjow said giggled because the man's voice was higher than most men's, and Szayel was just the type of person to randomly _giggle_.

"Che," Grimmjow snorted, but pointed at Ishida's dog. "That mutt gonna attack me?"

"Well," Urahara started, cutting Ishida off when his eyes narrowed, "I thought it best to start slow since—"

"I don't want to fuckin' start slow," Grimmjow glared. "I told you I could handle your best, and I'll say it again. I want the best damn dog you got…_Sergeant_."

Urahara sighed. "Yare, yare. So impatient." With a flick of his wrist his phone was in his hand and open. "I'll call Renji. He'll bring out Zabimaru."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"Zabimaru isn't your best. You said so yourself." Grimmjow let the words hang in the air, then continued. "Bring out Mamoru."

The blond man looked stunned for a moment before gathering himself, his voice now deeper, much more serious. "There's a reason why he is our best, Grimmjow-san."

"Of course there is. Why would he be your best if there wasn't?"

"Let me explain. Zabimaru is the best attack dog _overall_. He is fearless, easily riled, and will do his job to the best of his ability. It helps that he's only a one-man dog. But Mamoru is completely different."

"I fail to see why."

"Mamoru is not easily riled. He finds the activity boring. But if there is a serious threat, he isn't _riled_. He's _livid_. He will run down anyone Kuchiki-san tells him to, and he will hit hard. Mamoru does not simply attack. He is the only dog that I have seen that seems to calculate and think about the best places to bite before he does.

"Along with that, you aren't much of a threat to his handler, so he won't give you a good run for your money should he be out here," Urahara finished.

Grimmjow thought for a moment, then grinned. "How about I prove you wrong?"

Urahara blinked, then chuckled, pressing a button on his phone and holding the device to his ear. "Somehow I knew you'd say that. Ah, Kuchiki-san! Yes, please bring Mamoru out for the demo… Yes, I do know that… No, I don't think it's a bad idea. I'd like to indulge Grimmjow-san… Actually, I believe he can. Thank you, Kuchiki-san."

The blond haired man snapped his phone shut, mysterious grey eyes watching Grimmjow. "Kuchiki-san will be here momentarily," he said.

Grimmjow nodded, shifting slightly as he felt Urahara's calculating gaze make him uncomfortable. He met Starrk's eyes, catching his friend's question presented in his stare. He gave a miniscule shrug, glancing away, signaling they would talk later.

He knew Starrk was merely curious, but he didn't want to talk about his company. It had been just over a year ago that he had ginally gotten it back on its feet and earning money. It wasn't that he didn't like making money – though he could honestly care less about money – he just didn't like working a business.

The blue haired man was a man of action, not someone meant to be stuck in an office doing paperwork and dealing with sneaky lawyers. Yet that was what he'd gotten.

There was a small jiggle, and Grimmjow's eyes lifted. The small black haired woman appeared, the German Shepherd walking calmly and obediently beside her. The dog's brown eyes slid to Grimmjow, and he felt a wide grin split his face.

Mamoru tensed, and a thrill zipped through Grimmjow's veins. He felt excited – he hadn't worked with a dog in a long time, and Mamoru seemed like the perfect dog for the challenge. He was watchful and smart, two things Grimmjow had always admired in most canines.

That red haired guy – Abarai or something – followed the black haired woman, stopping somewhere near Szayel and Uryuu. He seemed wary, but Grimmjow didn't care.

"So, the suit, Grimmjow-san?" Urahara suggested cheerily.

"Nah," Grimmjow grinned, eyes flicking to Mamoru. "Just give me the arm pad."

Urahara blinked. "Are you sure, Grimmjow-san?"

"Yeah," Grimmjow shrugged. "If I get hurt, I already signed the contract that said you're not liable. It's at my own risk." He glanced at Mamoru, noticing the dog's intelligent eyes watching him. There was something about that dog…

The blond haired man handed Grimmjow the pad, then waved his arm towards Mamoru. "Be my guest, then."

The black haired woman moved forward onto the field, Mamoru following but his body was tense. Grimmjow rolled his shoulders, bouncing on the balls of his feet for a moment before he stared at Mamoru. The dog sat, watching him, but looking almost bored. Well, Grimmjow would definitely have to remedy that. He stepped over in front of them.

Mamoru glanced up, almost like he was daring Grimmjow to do something. Slowly Grimmjow reached out, then viciously grabbed the top of the black haired woman's uniform, and a collective gasp echoed through the crowd that had gathered.

Kuchiki sucked in a breath as Grimmjow pulled her back against him, hand moving around her throat. "I won't hurt you," he said, just loud enough for her to hear.

Almost immediately, Mamoru growled, posture threatening. Kuchiki wasn't doing anything to indicate that she had been seriously hurt, but there was a dangerous glint in the dog's eyes. There was definitely something different about this dog, and Abarai rushed over as Grimmjow tightened his grip around Kuchiki's throat.

The red haired soldier caught Mamoru's collar as he started barking furiously when Kuchiki let out another gasp. His teeth clacked together, the sound echoing around the empty field, and Grimmjow grinned, tugging the black haired woman closer to him.

"Tell him to attack," Grimmjow whispered. The dog was absolutely furious, and Grimmjow felt his instincts kick in. This couldn't be an ordinary dog. But if it wasn't ordinary, then what was it?

As saliva flew from sharp white teeth, Grimmjow decided he would figure that out later. Right now, he wanted to play.

Finally, Kuchiki seemed to get it, because she struggled a bit, gritting her teeth and finally calling out, "Mamoru! Attack!"

The dog lunged, but Abarai had a tight grip on his collar, digging his feet into the dirt to keep Mamoru from pulling him forward. Kuchiki yelled again, and Mamoru jumped, only to have the collar hold him back once more. Finally, Mamoru whipped his head around with a growl, snapping at Abarai's hand but not making contact.

With a grunt of surprise, Abarai let go, and Grimmjow watched as Mamoru stalked forward and seemed to calculate the best way to go about this. Grimmjow had to do something else to break that calm the dog had, and he grinned as it crossed his mind.

"I'm gonna press your pressure points – hard. You'll just be dazed," he informed Kuchiki quickly before pressing harshly with his fingers. She was so small that he could have done it much lighter, but as it was, her body stiffened before suddenly going limp in his arms.

And that did it.

With a loud bark of fury, Mamoru shot forward, eyes a blaze of brown fire as Grimmjow dropped Kuchiki somewhat gently and ran. He was fast – definitely not fast enough to beat a dog – but at the last moment, when he felt Mamoru on his tail, he whirled around, flinging his padded arm out and crashing it into the side of Mamoru's face.

The dog thudded against the ground, slowly standing until it faced Grimmjow. His grin was no doubt spreading all across his face. Ah, this was fun. Then, the dog was attacking again and again, each time Grimmjow either deflecting his advance with his padded arm or dodging.

He couldn't get a hit, and it was safe to say that it was making Mamoru furious.

With a low snarl Mamoru attacked again, and at the last moment Grimmjow ducked, feeling Mamoru's teeth clack on air but much closer to his arm than he would like. He whirled around, watching the dog jump at him, but he swung his padded arm, feeling the shudder as it connected with Mamoru's side.

Ten minutes later and Grimmjow was panting, the thrill still humming through his veins. But Mamoru was panting, too, and his legs were shaking slightly. Even still, his eyes were as bright and angry as ever. Grimmjow tilted his head, studying the dog. He was different – much different than any other dog Grimmjow had ever worked with.

By now the two of them had gotten pretty far down the field, close enough for everyone to see clearly, but far enough away so they couldn't hear Grimmjow speak. He wanted to try something, but wasn't sure if it'd work.

He grinned. "Bite me."

Mamoru stiffened, a low growl rumbling in his throat. Grimmjow shook his head but kept smiling. "Come on, mutt, bite me. I won't move." To prove his point, Grimmjow removed the large padded arm.

Almost as if he were thinking, Mamoru hesitated before he bolted forward. At the last moment, Grimmjow brought up his unprotected arm, and Mamoru's snout connected with it. But Grimmjow noticed there was only a little bit of teeth. His skin wasn't even punctured.

The dog had slid to a stop just before he would have bitten Grimmjow's arm, and this time when he stared, Grimmjow could have sworn he saw uncertainty and confusion in the dog's eyes.

Carefully, he reached up, but Mamoru snarled, lips writhing over a set of perfectly white – and perfectly dangerous – teeth. Grimmjow just grinned, his hand quickly snatching the dog's muzzle and bringing it closer to him. When he felt Mamoru struggle, he growled, grin disappearing and every muscle in his body radiating his confidence and his domination.

Almost immediately, Mamoru seemed to still, brown eyes seemingly widening as Grimmjow rumbled, "I'm the boss, you got that? I'll let you bite me because I did something purposefully to piss you off, but you _dare_ to bite me, and I'll rip your throat open. Got that, mutt?"

Brown eyes narrowed and a vicious snarl rippled out of Mamoru's mouth. Grimmjow may not have the best social skills, but this dog was definitely disrespecting him. He knew exactly how to assert his dominance – especially to dogs. Maybe that was why he got along with animals better, but he needed to show this dog just where he was in the hierarchy of a "pack" setting.

So, Grimmjow reciprocated the snarl, acting quickly and latching onto Mamoru's collar, pulling him over until Grimmjow had a firm grip on the dog's forearms. Mamoru snapped, just nicking Grimmjow's hand, but he let the dog struggle. He was stronger and a lot larger, easily overpowering the German shepherd, and finally, he settled.

Grimmjow put his head near the dog's neck, watching the ears flick back and his body lower slightly, definitely not a menacing gesture, but a submissive one. Slowly, he let the dog go.

"Good dog," he murmured, Mamoru's head snapping to look at him, but this time, it looked like confusion and something else. Grimmjow grinned, reaching out, and this time, Mamoru let him stroke the fur between his ears. He was tense, and Grimmjow knew that this dog wasn't giving up so easily.

That was something else. Any other dog would have given up by now, and definitely would have given in completely to Grimmjow's display of dominance, but this one hadn't yet. This one was different.

But he found he liked it. This dog was a challenge, and something that he had never gotten to work with before. He felt slight surprise that he wanted to take the dog home; it wasn't like he couldn't afford it, but he had never gotten a military trained dog before, and some company at the empty apartment would be nice.

"Mamoru!"

The call came from across the field, and Grimmjow watched as the entire dog's body jerked around, perking up as he saw that the black haired woman was perfectly all right and standing on her own. His body tensed, almost as if he were about to run, but just before he did, he glanced back, brown eyes focusing on Grimmjow. He licked his chops, hesitating almost as if he were waiting for something before turning away from the blue haired man and loping easily across the field.

He nosed his handler, sniffing her quickly as she loudly swatted at him and told him to back off. Grimmjow grinned. Odd words to say to a dog, but then again, he couldn't judge. He also said strange things to dogs – not that they could understand him. He just talked because dogs didn't talk back. They weren't as complicated to get into a relationship with as people were.

Grimmjow grabbed the pad, sauntering over to the group of people, Mamoru already back on his leash and sitting calmly by his handler's side. He handed the gear to Starrk who merely raised an eyebrow, and Grimmjow shrugged, grinning. He'd always had a gift with dogs.

"Well, well. Very impressive, Grimmjow-san," Urahara said, flicking his fan open to hide his mouth. "I must say that I doubted your ability to so thoroughly rile up Mamoru."

The dog shifted, catching Grimmjow's attention. Mamoru looked…annoyed, or slightly perturbed with Urahara's statement, but Grimmjow couldn't fathom why the dog would look _annoyed_.

However, while his mind was on the subject…

Grimmjow turned. "Oi, Kuchiki. Sorry for the rough handling. Just wanted a little fun."

Mamoru bristled, and so did she, but it seemed she decided against being angry and waved a hand. "It's nothing, I suppose. But warn me next time," she said loudly, purple eyes flashing.

The blue haired man chuckled. "Yeah, yeah." He liked her attitude. She was fiery and smart. Maybe she would be one of the few girls he would actually be able to stand. Not that he would ever get to know her. She worked almost 24/7 for the military, and he ran a business. Not exactly the circumstances that would make them be around each other for long periods of time.

"Oi, oi!" It was that red haired bastard, walking over like he had problem with the way things were going. Grimmjow scoffed. Figured.

"Yes, Abarai-kun?" Urahara asked lightly, but Grimmjow could tell there was underlying tone in the blond haired man's voice, even though he didn't quite know what it was.

"We gonna do the shoot-out?" Abarai said, crossing his arms and staring Grimmjow down.

Grimmjow just shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. Just a glance with Urahara was all he needed to say, and with a cheerful "Let's go everyone!" Urahara led them just a short ways away to the shooting range. It wasn't much – just six "stations" that had a small panel dividing them. There was a narrow white wall that only came up to his waist, and beyond each station was a cardboard person.

"Rules?" Grimmjow murmured. It didn't hurt to play ignorant sometimes.

Abarai smirked. "Head shots are the best."

A large grin settled over Grimmjow's face as he looked straight at Abarai and said, "Good to know."

He chuckled, knowing that in Abarai's thirst for blood, he would want to go first. And he did. He lined himself up, holding the gun steady and letting off three shots. Abarai smirked, and Grimmjow nodded his head.

The aim was good – one in the side of the head, one in the shoulder, and another one directly in the dummy's heart. He looked at Grimmjow and smiled. "Can you match that, blueberry?" he laughed, but Grimmjow knew Abarai was just trying to get a rise out of him.

He'd dealt with plenty of ridiculous lawyers to know not to do that.

"Nothin' I can't handle, pineapple," he grinned.

The officer stiffened, but retaliated. "Hope so. I'd hate for this to be easy."

"Eh…me, too." Grimmjow's smile widened.

A gun was thrust towards him, but Grimmjow shook his head. "Nah. I only shoot with Pantera," he said, leaning down and pulling the gun from the holster strapped around his ankle.

The red haired man scoffed. "You named your fucking gun?" Grimmjow straightened, but not fast enough, and Abarai's gaze slid to his back. "What's that?" he pointed.

Grimmjow snarled quietly. "Nothing." He made sure to pull the hem of his shirt down further, but Abarai wasn't letting it go.

"So is that like a gang tattoo or something? Like you were the sixth? Aww, that musta been cute."

Most of the people around him – Starrk, Lily, Szayel, and Nnoitra – shifted nervously, and he saw Kuchiki tense as well. "Renji," she warned, but that red haired man paid her no heed.

"You playin' gang banger? Ya miss it, blueberry?"

Okay, now the fucking redhead was _really_ pissing him off.

Slowly, Grimmjow's head rose, his eyes glacial and hard. He hated it when people mentioned that tattoo, especially how fucking Abarai was doing it. He felt Pantera's weight, slowly raising his arm until the gun was at his waist and he tossed it slightly. He turned until he faced Abarai, and while it wasn't ideal, he didn't have a problem with the shooting dummy on his left.

Before anyone could blink his hand flashed out, head turning quickly in the same direction as he fired the gun three times in quick succession. Abarai looked utterly shocked, gaze moving to the slightly smoking gun.

Eyes slid up, the redhead sucking in a breath when he noticed how close Grimmjow's face was. One of the blue haired man's lips curled. "I'm right handed," he growled, sticking his gun back in its holster and shoving his hands in his pockets as he walked away.

"Come on, Nnoitra. We're leaving," he called, glancing back only to look at the German shepherd quietly watching him leave. Blue eyes flicked to the dummy, lips pulling into a frown. Three shots, and all three bullet holes were within an inch of each other and centered near the forehead, almost directly between the eyes.

Grimmjow sent a glare towards Abarai, but nodded at Urahara. "Thanks," he said quietly, sending one last glance to Mamoru before sliding into his car and disappearing.

00000

"I'll take him," Grimmjow said hurriedly, the door clicking shut, the sound loud in the sudden silence. Urahara blinked.

"Um, I beg your pardon?"

"I'll take him," he repeated.

Kuchiki and Abarai were sitting at the table, and Mamoru lay peacefully on the sofa next to the soda machine. The two officers looked slightly frazzled, but Grimmjow wasn't paying attention to them. He was looking at Mamoru, the dog's golden brown eyes staring right back.

He had been lucky – not fifteen minutes ago Szayel had called, telling Grimmjow that the base was officially retiring Mamoru and deciding whether to put him through training to be bought by a civilian or whether he would go home to an officer. Grimmjow had rushed over. He wasn't sure what it was about that dog, but there was _something_… Something there that felt like he was connected with the animal.

Urahara was first to recover. "Well, Grimmjow-san, you are a civilian, and we weren't thinking of releasing him to the general public. Mamoru is a complicated soul, and I believe Kuchiki-san wanted to take him home."

Grimmjow glanced at Mamoru again. The dog was still looking at him, head cocked to the side, eyes contemplative. Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his hair. His lips pressed into a line, and he knew he had to take a chance.

"I know how to handle myself around dogs."

"Oh? And how would that be, Grimmjow-san?" Urahara mused. The blue haired man locked his jaw. When he didn't answer in the next minute, Urahara continued. "I read your file, Grimmjow-san."

He cursed lowly. "I have a file?"

"Oh, yes. Considering your past, the military had to draw up some sort of record. Very interesting if I may say so myself."

"So you read my file. Then you know I'm qualified."

"Ah, but perhaps Kuchiki-san would like to know. She does want to adopt Mamoru after all."

He felt an intense stare at his back, and Grimmjow's eyes swirled, locking on Mamoru's. The dog raised its head and licked its lips like it was waiting for Grimmjow to speak. The blue haired man snarled slightly, shifting uncomfortably.

"When I worked for Aizen, I trained dogs. I'm good with animals," he shrugged. "So I trained them to kill."

Abarai's eyebrows slammed together. "Screw that! We ain't giving Mamoru to a fucker like you.'

Grimmjow felt his lip curl as he turned his icy stare on Abarai. Fuck, this was why he hated telling people about this. They got this high and mighty look, thought he was just a killer, but they didn't know he lived with the guilt of what he'd done every single day.

"You've killed someone haven't you, Abarai? Of course you have. You protect your country." Grimmjow was almost sneering, and he stepped forward, leaning down into Abarai's face. "But you've never had someone point a gun to your sister's head, have you?"

The red haired man was speechless.

"You make a valid point, Grimmjow-san," Urahara interrupted. "Kuchiki-san, Abarai-san, please follow me."

Grimmjow sighed, running a hand through his hair as the three people exited the room. He glanced over, looking at Mamoru who was looking back at him. "What?" Grimmjow grumbled. He sat next to the dog, exhaling again, Mamoru giving him a skeptical look.

He groaned. "Look. Sorry 'bout attackin' yer handler. Urahara said you couldn't be touched. So I had to rile you up," Grimmjow grinned. If the dog had eyebrows, Grimmjow was sure one would be raised.

The dog suddenly chuffed, and Grimmjow snorted, reaching over and ruffling a hand between Mamoru's ears. The dog let out a startled noise and tensed, but didn't pull away. Surprisingly, Mamoru slowly put his head down, and Grimmjow watched the dog, suddenly realizing how lonely he had been for so long.

It had been his own punishment for working for Aizen. Dogs were Grimmjow's life – he didn't need drugs or sex. All he had wanted were animals, and Aizen had given him a chance to get them. He should have known that Aizen wasn't the type of person to integrate someone into his group and then let them go.

Blue eyes roved over the dog that had relaxed, eyes closed as Grimmjow's fingers burrowed and scratched beneath the soft, thick fur. Maybe he could indulge again. This dog was different, and for a moment, Grimmjow stopped his fingers and gripped a small bit of fur. He tugged, causing the dog to lift his head, amber eyes swirling with confusion.

A dog shouldn't have that look. Not that intense.

"You're different," Grimmjow murmured, staring at Mamoru steadily. His voice got lower. "You're not like a normal dog."

Mamoru suddenly chuffed, ducking out from underneath Grimmjow's hand. The blue haired man let the dog go, knowing it was for some sort of reason.

"Ah, good! You're still here!" Urahara said cheerfully as he suddenly reappeared in the room, Kuchiki and Abarai behind him. "No offense, of course, Grimmjow-san, but I had to let Kuchiki-san view your file as well. But she has given permission for you to take Mamoru home. And I have consented as well."

The dog stiffened next to him, and Grimmjow could've sworn the look Mamoru gave Urahara was a glare.

"Well, let's get everything settled!" the blond haired man called, proceeding to pull out some paperwork and set it in from of Grimmjow. Urahara flipped his fan out. "Although, I have to ask, Grimmjow-san… Can you support Mamoru?"

"I've taken care of dogs before."

"So you have a kennel?"

"Yes."

"Leash?"

"Uh huh."

"Food?"

"Gimme his schedule from here and I'll follow it."

The blue haired man looked down quickly and signed, pushing the papers back to Urahara. The man hesitated a moment. "Then I must tell you, Grimmjow-san, that his name isn't exactly Mamoru."

A thin blue eyebrow rose. "'Isn't exactly'?"

"Precisely. You see, his name is really Ichigo."

"Strawberry?"

A low growl rumbled next to Grimmjow. He raised both eyebrows this time.

"Yes, well, we meant the name to be used in the context as 'number one guardian,' but no one thought we were serious. So we changed it to Mamoru. Same basic meaning," Urahara shrugged.

"Uh huh." Grimmjow glanced at the dog. "So. Ichigo, huh?" He grinned suddenly. "Looks like you're comin' home with me."

00000

**A/N:** So, there's the end of the first chapter. I have more of this story and realized I'd have to break it up or else that'd be one long-ass one-shot lol. And I hope you guys enjoyed this first installment. I've been trying to close up some of my other stories, and before work starts that's what I'm gonna try for. So bear with me please, and any story you like the most, please feel free to tell me to update that one sooner haha! I love the feedback. Thanks all!

- wolf's paradise

PS. Just in case you guys wanted to see, here's my thoughts on what the dogs look like (and delete the spaces):

Zabimaru (Belgian Malinois): (I know I couldn't find a good picture, but honestly, the dog I saw looked like a mini hyena. That's why his name was Ed from Lion King lol) http : / www . picturesdepot . com / dogs / 15278 / Belgian + shepherd + dog + malinois . html

Ichigo/Mamoru (German Shepherd): https : / www . breederinfocenter . com / images2 / 20030902180633 _ 093209 _ 1 . jpg

Benihime (German Shepherd): http : / best-family-dogs . com / wp-content / uploads / 2010 / 08 / German-Shepherd-muzzle-German-Shepherd . jpg

Sode no Shirayuki (German Shepherd): http : / 1 . bp . blogspot . com / _ Nn9OFoDR _ oE / SYztxXdx34I / AAAAAAAAA3c / SutISqdWVOo / s400 / GSW007GermanShepherd _ SportHorsePhotography . jpg

Quincy (Dutch Shepherd): http : / www . dogbreedinfo . com / images10 / DutchShepherdGitzoPlayFetch1 . jpg


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** So here is the next (and last) chapter! Personally, I think this is where it gets good, but then I thought the beginning was good as well, so we'll just see how it all goes. Since I somehow COMPLETELY missed 6/15 GrimmIchi day, this is being submitted right now as my tribute to my favorite couple. This will be a very long chapter unless it gets _too_ long and I decide to break it up again. Hope you guys enjoy this!

Chapter Two

Okay, this was officially not what he was expecting. When Grimmjow had brought Ichigo home, he had assumed the dog would be relatively friendly like he had been at the military base.

He had been wrong.

Ichigo refused to let Grimmjow touch him. He wouldn't growl, but he would just sit there, and whenever Grimmjow's hand would wander, Ichigo would shuffle away to his large pillow on the floor or just another spot on the couch. Originally, Grimmjow hadn't wanted Ichigo on the sofa, but the dog had just given him this _look_.

There had been one time when Ichigo was sleeping on the couch, and Grimmjow had stealthily reached over and started to pet the shepherd. Needless to say, the dog's reaction had been…strange. A soft whine had slipped from Ichigo's throat, and he had nuzzled his head into Grimmjow's touch.

A moment later, Ichigo had opened his eyes before suddenly jerking away, head down and licking his chops as he stepped off of the couch. He looked like he was shaking slightly, and Grimmjow had given the dog a suspicious look.

Since then, Ichigo had resolutely stayed away from him and was his normal, disinterested self. There were times when people came over and Ichigo would growl – that is, until Grimmjow told him to get out of the room.

After a few more times of that happening, Ichigo merely refused to go see who was at the door, and stayed away from most people that came to visit Grimmjow.

But there were other things, too. Sometimes it was like Ichigo was looking at him funny, like the dog was trying to figure something out and that he wasn't sure if he trusted Grimmjow. Call him crazy, but that was exactly what it looked like to Grimmjow. Of course, he _would_ be the one to get a crazy dog.

Grimmjow glanced to his right. Ichigo was sleeping again, head on his paws and looking quite comfortable as he lounged on the sofa. It had only been two weeks since Grimmjow had gotten Ichigo, but it seemed as if the dog had gotten used to a quieter life. Grimmjow tried to take the dog out, but Ichigo didn't really want him near so it was out of the question to take the dog to the park.

The blue haired man blinked, reverie interrupted as the doorbell rang throughout the house. Grimmjow raised an eyebrow and muted the TV, turning back to Ichigo when the dog raised his head and looked intently at the source of the sudden sound.

His black nose twitched, taking in the smell. Ichigo hesitated a moment, then cocked his head like he was thinking. Grimmjow snorted as the doorbell rang again and he lazily stood from the couch.

"Freakin' weird dog," he murmured, and he didn't even have to look. He could _feel_ Ichigo's glare on his back. Like he said: crazy dog.

He grabbed the knob and turned, pausing in surprise at the person he saw behind the door. "N-Nel?"

"Grimmjow!" she cried happily, lunging forward and wrapping both of her arms around his neck. He stiffened before slowly relaxing and carefully reciprocating her hug. Not a second had passed after he'd done that that she pulled away, a bright smile on her face.

"How are you?" she asked, moving to the kitchen and setting her purse down on the bar. Grimmjow followed numbly. Nel was crazy. She had long, wavy blue-green hair and happy wheat eyes. She was one of the most curvaceous women he had ever known, and she also happened to be his half-sister.

It was just that he hadn't seen her in so long that he was stunned. Grimmjow hadn't thought that he would see her so soon. She had her career, something she had only started once she was sure that Grimmjow could handle their father's company and stand on his own two feet.

"I'm uh… I'm good," he swallowed, running a hand through his hair. He shifted, sending her a confused look. "What are you doing here, Nel?"

"What? I can't come by and say hello to my brother?"

Grimmjow frowned. "You know that's not what I meant."

She smiled softly. "I know." She shrugged, taking a small strand of green hair and twirling it around her finger. "I missed you. So I figured I'd stop in and say hi."

"Thanks, Nel," he said quietly, chest tightening. He would never admit that he missed her, too, but as she stared at him, he knew she understood. He was happy that she had visited him, but he had a feeling there was something else she wanted to know. She sighed and twirled a bit on the bar stool, eyeing the couch and scrunching her eyebrows in thought.

"You want something to drink?" he asked as he moved into the kitchen, still pulling out a container of iced tea even though she had answered negatively. He was thirsty, at least.

"Oh? Who's this, Grimmjow?" she murmured, and out of the corner of his eye, Grimmjow saw her lean down until she was fairly close to Ichigo.

"Ah, that's Ichigo. An attack dog."

She whirled, her face darkening considerably. "Attack dog?"

Grimmjow winced. Dammit. Wrong choice of words. "Look, Nel, I don't have any hits on me. It's just… Remember that demo I told you I was doing?"

"The one that Szayel and Ylfordt offered?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. So?"

"Well, he was going to be retired. They didn't think he could be put in the system for 'availability to civilians' so they were going to give him to his handler or put him down. I liked him, so I offered to take him." Grimmjow turned back to the counter, pouring his iced tea.

She chuckled, mood lightened. "You always were such a sap."

"I am not!" he growled indignantly.

Nel turned to Ichigo. "You know, you're a lucky boy. Grimm used to take in stray animals all the time. Always had a soft spot for them."

"Just shut up, Nel." He sighed and scratched his head. "I don't think he likes me much, though…"

"Mmm, I bet he likes me!" There was a small giggle. "Come here, Itsygo!" she called, and the blue haired man frowned.

"It's Ichigo."

"I know. But I like Itsygo better," she smiled, and for some reason, the damn mutt let her pull him onto her lap. Absentmindedly, she stroked his fur, but a moment later, his sister heaved a sigh. "Did you tell them?"

Grimmjow sipped his tea and un-muted the TV. "Tell them what?"

"Don't play innocent."

His lips pressed into a thin line. "Yes," he said softly.

"Why?"

"Why else? They wouldn't have let me keep the dog. And I liked the dog."

There was a small growl, but Nel ignored it and instead tugged on Ichigo's ear. "You know that could be dangerous."

"I know."

"Grimm…"

"What the fuck do you want from me, Nel?" he spat, turning on her. "Everyone gets what they want. Everyone except me. They get to do what they've always wanted, and what do I get? I get saddled with a company that was plunging down the drain that I've had to spend kami knows how many years fixing it up until I'm actually fucking making something."

"You know I would've taken it for you," she said quietly, looking away.

He snorted. "I wouldn't let you."

"I know." And he saw that look in her eyes, the one that made him feel like he was twelve again, seeing her happy and understanding him for the first time. "Tell me what happened, Grimm."

And there it was. The other thing she'd come here for.

"No."

"Tell me."

He was silent for a while. "How much do you know already?"

"Very little." Her voice was soft, interested, but still firm. "Nnoitra refused to tell me much about it, except for the fact that they made you go out the hard way."

What a fucking nice way to put it. Although he was happy that Nnoitra hadn't told Nel anything, now he was almost hoping the ridiculously tall man had. It would have saved Grimmjow from this confrontation.

"Che, the hard way," Grimmjow muttered bitterly.

Nel's face was utterly serious. "It was worse?"

When he turned to face her, his eyes were hard, cold, and pained in their remembrance. "Much worse," he whispered. He barely noticed the miniscule twitching of Ichigo's ears.

"Grimm, I want you to tell me…"

"You don't wanna know, Nel," he shook his head.

Her fist was suddenly in his shirt. He was surprised. It was unlike Nel to lose her temper. "I'm you're sister, Grimmjow," she said firmly, voice deadly. "And I want you to tell me what happened."

After brushing her hand away, Grimmjow pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping, praying that she wouldn't beat him up for this. "I could never go into the military anyway," he sighed. "Not with my background."

"I'm sure—"

"Do you know how many people I've killed, Nel?" He felt just a little unhinged at the moment. "Fuck, I was like Aizen's hit man for Christ's sake. I'm surprised I'm not in jail. Actually, that's probably the _only_ reason I'm not in jail. Because like the coward I was, I told them everything they wanted to know about that bastard."

"You never killed anyone, Grimmjow."

"I did. I counted. Six. Six of them. And other dozens upon dozens I might as well have killed because I sat back and did nothing. Absolutely. Fucking. Nothing," he growled angrily.

"How did it happen?"

Grimmjow swallowed. This was where it got sticky. "He hurt you."

"What?"

"I know you remember. When he gave Nnoitra that drug, and you two got in this huge fight. And he made me watch as you were beat up and he gave you that scar across your face," he said quietly.

Nel crossed her arms. "Nnoitra did that, not Aizen."

"Indirectly," Grimmjow corrected. "Nnoitra remembers a little of what happened, but he's petrified that you'll kill him one day. It wasn't him. Aizen did it. Aizen gave him that drug."

"Stop it, Grimmjow."

"And of course, that day he kidnapped you to make sure I _would_ kill that person." And he hated himself for it. Grimmjow looked away.

"The dogs killed the other five. But he was your sixth – the first one you actually killed by hand," Nel sighed.

All Grimmjow could manage was a curt nod. He remembered that man the most, not only because he had been the person he himself had killed, but also because the man had been a contact, a way out. And he'd had to kill him. Of course Aizen had known Grimmjow wanted to leave, and so Aizen had taken out an insurance policy – Grimmjow had to choose between his freedom or Nel's life.

There hadn't been a choice. He hadn't needed one.

"You shouldn't have killed him just to keep me safe."

"And Aizen still raped you," Grimmjow growled viciously, hands clenching into fists. He barely saw Nel turn her head away slightly, her fingers tightening their grip on Ichigo's fur.

"Let it go, Grimmjow," Nel murmured quietly. "You still haven't told me how you got out."

He looked down. He sighed heavily before starting. She wouldn't give it up even if he tried convincing her. "It wasn't easy. I knew I… I knew I had to get out if I was going to keep you safe, if I was going to make sure that it became something in my past."

Nel shifted.

"They caught up to me and Nnoitra. In an alley just outside of Las Noches." Grimmjow scratched his chest. Just talking about it made the scar itch. He pulled up his shirt and turned to his sister, her gasp reaching his ears as her hands flew over mouth. It was a nasty scar, reaching from the middle of his chest to the top of his right hip. "They did it with a hot knife," he explained. "Once that was done, they shoved me to the ground, and gave me this." With that, he lifted up the back of his shirt, revealing a large, stylish six inked into the skin on the right side of his lower back.

"Why?" Nel breathed, her eyes glassy.

"He wanted me to remember how…_important_ I had been – and the nickname he gave me, because of the number of people I killed."

"Sexta…"

Grimmjow nodded. "Nnoitra had it worse. They took out his eye, and tattooed a five onto his tongue." He spared Nel a glance. He didn't want to see her face as he told her all of this. He was fine with leaving it, with not tell her anything. But she wanted to know, and he owed her for everything she had done for him. "They broke Nnoitra's left leg, fractured his arm. As for me? Dislocated shoulder. Broken rib and twisted ankle. Not to mention the bruises we had."

This time, he did look to his right, but his eyes rested on his new dog. Those brown eyes were regarding him carefully, like the dog couldn't figure him out. But why would the dog need to figure out his owner? There was something else, something like anguish and understanding, but Grimmjow quickly dismissed it. No way a dog could show that sort of emotion.

Suddenly, Nel was moving, shoving Ichigo off of her lap and wrapping her arms around Grimmjow's neck. She buried her nose into the crook of his shoulder, soft, silent sobs shaking her body. It had been so long since he had ever seen Nel cry. She had always been strong.

"N-Nel?"

She sniffled. "I don't deserve you as a brother. You shouldn't have done so much for me. The pain you must have been in…"

Grimmjow shook his head. "No. Don't say that," he said, voice low and almost a growl.

"Why not?" Nel challenged, sounding slightly like a petulant child instead of his older sister.

He hesitated slightly before speaking. "You took me in, even if I hated you at first. You were the only person that didn't give up on me. So I had to do it because I didn't want to disappoint you like I had before. I wanted you…to be proud."

Again, Nel sniffled, looking at Grimmjow a moment as a miniscule smile graced her lips. "Always. Always proud," she whispered before quickly wiping her eyes with a delicate hand and giving a small laugh. "Ah, come on, Grimmy!" she said, grabbing his hand and tugging. "Let's take Itsygo to the park! He's a dog and he needs to get out, just like Bawabawa!"

Grimmjow chuckled before agreeing, glancing at Ichigo. The dog's eyes looked shiny for a moment, and Grimmjow smiled at his pet and spoke, even if the canine couldn't understand. "You like Frisbee?"

00000

Two hours later, Grimmjow and Nel were breathing heavily as they walked home, Ichigo silently strolling in between the two siblings. They passed one of the side streets, and Nel turned to face her brother. With a hug and a silent wave goodbye, she headed towards the left to her own apartment.

The blue haired man pushed his hands into his pockets as he stared for a moment, then turned to walk back to his place. He leaned down, letting a hand ruffle the shepherd's head. The dog chuffed, but he didn't move away. Grimmjow couldn't help but notice that Ichigo had allowed touch a lot more ever since Nel had come over and they had played in the park.

It had felt so good to feel carefree again. He and Nel had played just like they had when they were kids. She still kicked his ass in Frisbee, tackling him down when he wouldn't give it to her so she could throw it to Ichigo.

His dog had seemed to have a good time, too, oddly enough. Usually, it seemed as if the dog moped around with a figurative scowl on his face, but today, Ichigo had looked as carefree as he and Nel had been.

He gave a wry chuckle. "She's such a child sometimes." He shook his head and sighed. "She was the only one that seemed to care. I hated her so much, but she just kept at it, even going so far as to nearly chew my head off for joining those stupid Hollows to become an Espada," Grimmjow muttered as an afterthought.

"But she always put up with me, and one time she went missing – she had just gotten fucking lost; can you believe it? – and I realized how much she meant to me." After a pause, he rubbed the back of his neck and laughed. "Listen to me, Ichigo," Grimmjow grinned. "I sound like a fucking sap."

The blue haired man sighed again and pressed forward, but if he had looked down, he would have seen a slight smirk on his dog's face.

00000

As the doorbell echoed through the house, Grimmjow's gaze whipped to the dog sitting next to him on the couch, watching it with a wary expression. Ever since Nel had come over (two times after her initial visit) Ichigo had been acting strangely. Normally the dog would leave if a person came over, but it seemed as if Ichigo had gotten strangely attached.

His friends from before in the gang – like Nnoitra or Starrk or (regrettably) even Szayel – had always come over for a visit, but now, Ichigo didn't move from the couch. He sat and watched, body tense, low growls issuing from his throat whenever the others would touch Grimmjow.

They had all learned to stay away from his "crazy ass dog" as Nnoitra put it, but Grimmjow couldn't figure out for the life of him why Ichigo was suddenly being so protective. This really was a very _very_ strange dog.

When the doorbell rang again, Grimmjow stood, figuring it was Nnoitra coming by to return a movie he borrowed. Grimmjow didn't mind if a friend used his things, just so long as they returned it. Besides, Grimmjow liked his movies.

Suddenly, he stumbled, feeling warmth brush his legs, and when his momentum finally stopped, he looked down, almost growling. Ichigo stood in front of him, head down and hackles raised as he glared at the door. Grimmjow almost said something, but this was the first time that Ichigo had ever done anything this drastic.

"Go away," Grimmjow grumbled, using his foot to push Ichigo aside. The dog had been following him, too. If Grimmjow stood to go to the kitchen, Ichigo followed. There were only a few times the mutt didn't stalk his every move, but Grimmjow had seen puppies do that when they were younger.

But Ichigo wasn't a puppy, and Grimmjow doubted Ichigo was lonely and really liked him.

Ichigo tried to come back, but Grimmjow snapped his fingers, face angry as he pointed towards Ichigo's stuffed bed on the ground and half growled, half yelled, "Get!"

The dog whined, eyes worriedly glancing at the door, but when Grimmjow repeated the command, Ichigo backed slowly, licking his chops and still sniffing at the smells no doubt coming from beyond the door. He glanced up at Grimmjow one more time, brown eyes pleading.

Grimmjow felt something stir in his chest at those eyes like maple syrup – there was no way a dog could have such expressive eyes. Eyes that looked human. He almost let Ichigo closer until reason broke through, and he pointed again.

"Get!" he commanded.

The German shepherd whined again, but backed up a few more steps before sitting down, eyes flicking from the door to Grimmjow. The blue haired man grumbled, wondering how in the world he had managed to always get the crazy ones.

His last dog was Pantera (after which he'd named his gun), the craziest shepherd that he had ever known. She was almost completely black, wonderfully sleek, and the best prowler he'd ever seen – for a dog anyway. Hence the Spanish word for panther. The dog's commands had been in Spanish, too, something that Grimmjow had thought of to ensure that no stranger could ever handle his animals.

Pantera had been faithful to the end, the one dog that had completely attached to him and had tried to protect him no matter what. He just wished the damn police hadn't given him that one and biggest term on the agreement. If he didn't want to go to jail, Pantera would have to be put down. The canine unit had originally wanted to keep her, but she wouldn't let that happen.

Somehow, they had figured out that dogs specifically were his life, and to him, the destruction of his best dog would be the worst punishment.

He growled, not liking the fact that he was thinking about Pantera again. He viciously yanked the door open, scowling angrily at the two men behind it. "What?" he growled.

They stared at him until he repeated the question, voice rising. One, a large weirdo that reminded him of Yammy, removed his sunglasses slowly before looking like one of those know-it-all, stuck up, I'm-such-a-cool-and-tough bastard and speaking lowly – and slowly, like Grimmjow couldn't understand or something.

"We're here for you, Jeagerjaques."

"Che, yeah. You and half the Hollows," Grimmjow scoffed, rolling his eyes and moving to close the door. Sudden movement made him stiffen, and when he refocused, his eyes narrowed.

Damn. He hated it when he was staring down the barrel of a gun.

"Back into your home calmly, please, Jeagerjaques-san," the shorter, slighter man said, smirking like one of those damn government officials that think they own everything.

"You know," Grimmjow started conversationally, but ultimately doing as he was told. "I wouldn't want to hold a gun to me if I were you." He really hoped this worked, because if it didn't, he was completely screwed.

And for once, things seemed to work out.

The large guy smiled cruelly. "Yeah? Why's that, blue?"

Deciding to disregard the common comment that he oh-so-hated, Grimmjow grinned, and tucked his head to the side. "He's why."

Sure enough, Ichigo was there, just three feet away from Grimmjow, snarling and spitting like an angry cat.

"Kick his ass, Ichigo," Grimmjow suddenly growled. And, quick as lightning, Ichigo had jumped forward, sharp teeth latching onto the gunman's arm and biting down hard. Thick drops of blood soaked into the carpet, but Grimmjow watched for a moment, transfixed as Ichigo attacked that man with a vengeance he had never seen in a dog.

With one mighty heave the man flung his arm, Ichigo flying off and taking a chunk of flesh with him. The man screamed, flailing his arm and, in an effort to push the pain onto someone else, grabbed Grimmjow's arm and twisted. He heard the quick snap, the pain following, and he ground his teeth together. Of course he had to be hurt on his bad side – the side the Hollows had already dislocated. But his eyes turned as hard as diamonds when he caught Ichigo limping.

"Son of a bitch," he snarled, the large guy holding his arm and looking up at Grimmjow with eyes that definitely regretted his previous actions. "Nobody hurts my fuckin' dog." He swung his good arm, the left one, straight into the man's temple. His knuckles hurt like hell, but he'd never felt so satisfied in his whole life.

And then it all came crashing down.

The click was ominous in his ringing ears, bringing everything into focus and down to another gun barrel. God, his luck was horrible.

Suddenly, Ichigo was growling again, hurtling himself at the man holding a gun to Grimmjow's head. Everything in Grimmjow seemed to drop, and his eyes widened.

"Ichigo, don't—" he started, but he never finished.

God, he had to be going insane…

The dog was running, brown eyes blazing, and he was changing. The muzzle became less defined. Black and tan hair was turning into a large expanse of tan skin. Paws became hands. Back paws became feet. And before he knew it, a human was standing in front of him, hair the brightest color of obnoxious orange that Grimmjow had ever seen.

Fists were flying, and that man's face was taking an awful beating before Grimmjow finally lunged forward.

"Stop it! Ichigo, stop it!" he yelled, pulling the dog-man away from the slight man. By now, sirens were blaring in the distance, no doubt because of calls from Grimmjow's overly nosey neighbors. In this instance, he was grateful for it.

The other man was looking at himself in surprise. He was shorter than Grimmjow and slighter, but still muscular. His body was lithe and athletic, more like a runner than the type that would play football or even baseball. The face was defined, his jaw cut, his nose straight, a scowl marring thin but slightly pink lips, and the eyes were a rich, milk-chocolate brown.

Those were the eyes of Ichigo the dog, eyes that Grimmjow would never forget even if he tried. The man and the dog were the same, though Grimmjow dared not believe it. Yet he had to, because there was blood dripping from Ichigo's lips to his chin.

"I-Ichigo?" he asked quietly. Grimmjow cursed himself. He _never_ said anything quietly.

"It went away," the man whispered, and his voice wasn't deep like Grimmjow's, but it fit him, and Grimmjow felt a shock through his body.

But he just stared at him. "Ichigo?" he said again.

Brown eyes snapped to his, growing wide and surprised. "Grimmjow?"

And when his name left Ichigo's mouth, everything burst. "What the fuck is going on? You… You were a dog! Fuck, I even _bought_ you! You'd better explain right now or I'll—"

Grimmjow's rant stopped suddenly when police sirens sounded just below his apartment complex. He growled. "Turn back into a fuckin' dog so I don't have to explain this."

Ichigo stood there for a moment, blinked, and cleared his throat nervously. "Um…I can't." He sounded perplexed.

"What?" The word was filled with such deadly fury that Ichigo winced.

"It… It's complicated, but I don't think I can change back."

"Oh for the love of—" Grimmjow grit his teeth and tugged at his hair. "Then hurry up and put on a pair of my jeans. And wash the blood off of your face." Ichigo nodded, scurrying out of the room as Grimmjow sighed heavily. He seriously doubted he'd live through this.

His head swirled as he heard the footsteps quietly approaching his door, and he plopped onto the carpet. His door was still open, most of the blood in the foyer and both men (thankfully) still unconscious. Movement to his left caught his eye, and out trotted Ichigo, a dog once again, head low and eyes looking sheepish as he moved next to Grimmjow.

One of the men, the larger ones, stirred at that point – apparently Grimmjow had thought too soon. Ichigo's attention snapped to the man, and he growled viciously.

"Stop it," Grimmjow murmured half-heartedly, just because he was so confused at this point. Was Ichigo a dog that could turn to a man, or a man that could turn into a dog?

A gun cocked, and a shout of "Karakura PD!" reached his ears, and Grimmjow just grumbled out a reply. The officers slowly lowered their weapons before looking at the scene before them – Grimmjow plopped on the floor, right arm hanging useless and out of place, two bodies in the doorway, and a wary German shepherd with eyes trained on the two policemen entering the apartment.

The men were stirring, and Ichigo let out a quick, swift snarl. The police officer brought out his flashlight, cautious, ready to use the thing as a weapon.

"I wouldn't use that on him if I were you," Grimmjow murmured. He glanced at Ichigo, his mouth quirking slightly before he said, "Come here, Ichigo."

Carefully, he did, making sure to keep the two thugs and police officers in his sights. Within five minutes a full investigation was underway, and their specialist had come in, examined the wound patterns and the scene and had decided that Grimmjow's story about him and his dog had been quite true. Not to mention the fact that they'd had to get out their computers to check his record, which Grimmjow found to be protected under the strict eye of none other than Urahara.

Silently, Grimmjow thanked the eccentric blond haired man.

The whole entire process took hours, and by the time everyone left – the two intruders fully awake and in handcuffs – it was somewhere around ten o'clock at night. When he turned around, Ichigo was a man again, bent on his hands and knees and sweating all over his body. He was panting, too, but Grimmjow just rolled his eyes and walked to his room, grabbing a pair of sweatpants and tossing them to Ichigo.

Brown eyes looked thankful as he slipped them on, having to draw the strings tighter considering Ichigo's waist was slighter.

Grimmjow sat on the couch and looked straight at Ichigo. "Explain." All of his frustration, his exhaustion, and his anger mixed to coat that single word, and Ichigo heaved himself up before sitting Indian-style on the floor.

He was still breathing difficultly, but his face was twisted in a grimace. Obviously, this wasn't something Ichigo was keen on explaining. Well, too bad.

"First off, I'm a little over sixty years old."

_That_ caught Grimmjow off guard.

Ichigo sighed, looking like he was preparing for a long story. "When I was twenty, I was spoiled, selfish, and only cared about myself. My mom had died a few years prior, and I never paid attention to how my two sisters Yuzu and Karin felt. I thought the world owed me. Of course it didn't, but that year, Yuzu married this awful guy. Six months later, he murdered her."

His eyes suddenly flashed and he looked livid. "I did nothing. A while later, my father was murdered as well. All I had left was Karin, and she took her away from me."

At Grimmjow's questioning stare, Ichigo swallowed. "There was an old lady, one that my family – except for me – helped. She was a witch, but I'd never believed her. She told me that I would lose everything, and then I would finally be able to see what means most in life. Until I found something…some_one_…that I would be completely unselfish for, my curse would end."

"A witch?" Grimmjow asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

Ichigo turned to him, brown eyes a swirl of emotion as he said seriously, "That's why I didn't believe her. She didn't look like one. She was normal – an old lady that inherited good genes: peppered hair and lines, but good lines. Like a full life lines."

"Uh huh."

"Yeah…"

"But?"

"But until I found that someone, I was cursed to remain a dog. Not a wolf or something formidable, but a dog – man's companion. Urahara was the first to discover me about fifteen years ago. He was twenty-five and already the head's assistant to the canine department. He had the idea to make me into a service dog. That way I'd stay hidden, unknown, and I'd be helping people, anonymously, which is what I'd wanted."

"Why?"

A wry smile crossed Ichigo's lips. "After wanting to be famous and then getting stuck as a dog? I'm sure after getting cans and darts thrown at you and ropes around your neck and scrounging for food, only for a girl to take you in and be killed within a week, you'd learn your lesson, too."

"What girl?" Grimmjow wanted to know. If he'd gone through the trouble of having his huge file checked by Urahara _and_ the two officers – especially that red haired monkey one – only to be attacked by two strange guys and find out his _dog_ was a _man_, then Ichigo was explaining his whole story.

Ichigo shifted. "She reminded me of my sister Yuzu. She had brown hair, a soft voice, and she was kind, too. Her name was Momo."

He frowned at that. "I didn't want to bother since I'd been tranquilized, taken to the pound, kicked… But she insisted and took care of me for a while. Her boyfriend didn't really like me – said I was dangerous. He was right."

"Then?" Grimmjow prompted when Ichigo didn't speak for a moment.

"I don't know who they were, but a week later these men came. I tried to defend her but…Momo didn't make it. Toshiro blamed me."

"Toshiro?"

"Her boyfriend."

"Oh."

"Yeah." He paused. "After that I didn't bother anyone. I didn't want to destroy another home. He had actually…cared for her. I didn't want it to happen again, so I was relieved when Urahara found me and came up with the idea for me to be a service dog. That way, I could try to protect as many people as possible; that way, nothing like Momo ever happened again."

God, it was too much to take in, and Grimmjow was sure he was being _way_ too calm about this entire matter, but his dog had just turned into a human before his very eyes. A very good-looking human, but that was besides the point. Why shouldn't he believe the rest of it? Denying would just make things harder.

"And? What'd the witch say? Why'd you say you couldn't turn into a dog and then you did?" Might as well ask.

Ah, there it was. That was the issue; Grimmjow could tell. Ichigo winced, his cheeks flushing a bright red. Well, one of those questions had caused Ichigo's reaction, and for some reason, Grimmjow found it looked good on the boy's face.

Wait, scratch that. A _sixty_-year-old boy's face.

He almost groaned. God, this was so confusing. "The witch?"

"Oh, right," Ichigo mumbled, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "Well, when the house was burning down, the witch came over to me. She told me that today, I would lose everything, and I'd know what it was like to be truly alone. That was when I heard Karin scream. I tried to go save her, but the witch… Her hands were raised, and her eyes were this weird milky color."

Grimmjow felt goosebumps up his arms, and he didn't like it. Yet he couldn't help but ask. "What happened?"

"Her voice got all deep, and she told me…" He swallowed. "I remember exactly what she said," he murmured. " 'You're a selfish boy. I curse you for your insolence, for your stubborn will and narcissism. You think the world owes you sympathy for your mother's death. Pa! I will give a reason not for people to be sympathetic, but to _pity_ you. I curse you, Kurosaki Ichigo, to walk the earth as a _dog_, as a companion to those that you have scorned. You will find friends, you will find a place that will accept you, but this curse _will not_ leave you until you have found someone for which you will die!'"

Shivers slithered all over Grimmjow's body. Until now, he had never believed in anything supernatural, but the way Ichigo told the story and what Grimmjow had witnessed solidified in his mind that those things were _real_.

"I never forgot it," Ichigo whispered.

"Who would?" Grimmjow snorted softly.

Ichigo looked away, and Grimmjow took that opportunity to look at the boy. He was no older than twenty when the witch had cursed him. And Grimmjow knew he'd learned the hard way. But so had Grimmjow. In a way, they were similar.

While life had shaped him, molded him, there was a core of steel hidden in there, no doubt developed through the hardships.

And honestly, he was a good-looking kid. His orange hair was ridiculous, but it suited him in a way. His face was strong, obviously weathered by life's trials, and he'd kept a sort of scowl that furrowed his eyebrows and turned down that mouth. But his eyes were expressive, just like when he had been a dog, and suddenly, something nagged at the back of Grimmjow's mind.

"Hold the fucking phone," he growled. "What did you mean 'until you find someone you'll die for'?"

Blood rushed to Ichigo's face. "Uh…" He refused to look at Grimmjow.

No… Oh, no… Fuck no… Grimmjow groaned, closing his eyes. "Don't tell me."

"Er…"

"Fuck."

"Che, thanks," Ichigo muttered sardonically.

"Shit."

"Shut up!"

"Crap."

"It's not _my_ fault!" Ichigo protested. "Don't ask me why the fuck it has to be you, but it is! You freed me of the curse so I guess I'll thank you." Grimmjow finally looked at Ichigo, only to see him standing and brown eyes flashing with what could only be described as hurt. "So thank you. I'll stop bothering you now."

Ichigo stood to leave, body shaking with what looked fury, and Grimmjow felt something slip into place.

"That's why," he murmured.

The boy paused, daring to look over his shoulder. "What?"

"That was why you kept following me after Nel came. That was why."

"Yes."

This time, Grimmjow wasn't looking at the way life had taken its toll on the boy in front of him. This time, Grimmjow noticed how muscled Ichigo was. Sure, he was thin and lithe, but his legs were strong, his abs were defined, his arms were toned, and Grimmjow's sweatpants hung low on Ichigo's slim hips, showing off the enticing "v".

His orange hair stood in soft spikes, some in the front falling over his forehead and just above those dark brown eyes. His lips were parted and slightly pink, and on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose lay the smallest dusting of freckles.

Grimmjow barely heard Ichigo swallow. "When I saw that second gun…I didn't want to lose someone. Not again. And not you. Especially not you."

The blue haired man stepped closer. "Why me?"

"I – I'm not really sure. I think…when I heard how much you went through for Nel. How much you cared for her and how I wished I'd done the same for my sisters."

For a long time, Grimmjow had wondered about his sexuality. He'd had a lot of women – and men, too – but he'd never been sure what he wanted. They were all quick fixes, because he had never wanted a relationship. But looking at Ichigo, he knew what he wanted. This kid was something different, unlike any of the others, and Grimmjow knew he'd felt something of that even when Ichigo was a dog.

That was why he'd been so adamant about adopting him.

And that was why looking at Ichigo's flushed face and feeling soft puffs of air dart across his mouth had him stepping even closer until Ichigo had to really look up.

"Grimmjow?"

"Shut up," he murmured, a hand rising until it rested against Ichigo's cheek. When the pad of Grimmjow's thumb traced his cheekbone and then rubbed over Ichigo's bottom lip, the orange haired boy sucked in a breath. Grimmjow could see the uncertainty in those maple eyes, but he wasn't about to stop.

Then, he slowly leaned down, carefully capturing those lips with his own. Ichigo immediately responded, and Grimmjow gripped the smaller man's waist with one hand while the other fisted in bright orange locks.

Ichigo parted his lips, letting the tip of his tongue touch Grimmjow's, and the blue haired man groaned. He shoved himself closer, and this time, it was Ichigo's turn to moan as his fingers twisted into Grimmjow's hair. Suddenly, he hissed and pulled away.

"What?" Grimmjow mumbled, voice coarse.

"My wrist. Fuck, I forgot. When that guy threw me off, I landed on it wrong," he explained, teeth clenched.

Grimmjow ran a hand through his hair, disappointed. "Come on. I'll take ya to a hospital." He started to move but Ichigo stopped him.

"Fuck that," he growled, and fisted his hands in Grimmjow's shirt, tugging him down and smashing his lips to Grimmjow's. The blue haired man was surprised to say the least, but hell, if Ichigo wanted this more than a trip to the hospital then Grimmjow would more than willingly oblige. Not the best idea, but at the moment, Ichigo was being bold, his hips slowly circling and pressing into Grimmjow.

God, it was the most delicious friction he'd felt in a while, and he wanted more.

So he splayed his hand over Ichigo's lower back, suddenly pulling him closer, and Ichigo's body arched, a moan slipping its way past his throat. His skin was already feverish, but it made Grimmjow that much more eager.

He pulled away, panting, looking at Ichigo, his eyes a dark, lustful brown. It made Grimmjow's gut coil with anticipation, and he ground his already hard erection into Ichigo's hip. The boy shuddered, his eyes fluttering, head flopping onto Grimmjow's shoulder. This kid was going to be the death of him.

"Bedroom?" Grimmjow said hoarsely.

"Yeah," Ichigo nodded breathlessly.

With a heave Grimmjow wrapped his hands around Ichigo's thighs and lifted, startling the boy, but Ichigo understood and locked his long legs around Grimmjow's hips. The blue haired man groaned when he felt Ichigo's length press into his stomach as he tried to hurry. But he was preoccupied.

Ichigo had taken the liberty of fusing his mouth with Grimmjow's once more, fingers tugging lightly on his hair, and shit did that turn Grimmjow on.

Finally they slipped through the doorway, and Grimmjow managed the short few feet to his bed before he practically fell on it, Ichigo underneath him. The orange haired boy gasped, pressing into Grimmjow when their mouths had disconnected from the impact, but Grimmjow didn't stopped there. He was going to go until he had every inch of the kid explored.

Suddenly, Grimmjow pulled away, looking at Ichigo. He didn't want to go too fast. Things were heated, but he wanted to enjoy this. He wanted Ichigo to enjoy this. If he'd been a dog for the past forty years… Well, he hadn't had time for anything like this. So Grimmjow paused, only to press his lips lightly just underneath Ichigo's jaw, drawing a line to behind his ear and nipping lightly.

The boy's entire body shuddered, and his strangled groan filled the room.

Blood rushed to Grimmjow's groin, and he didn't think it was possible for him to get harder. He let his mouth drift, swirling his tongue around the hollow of Ichigo's throat before making his way further down, Ichigo's soft panting and writhing hips spurring him on.

Grimmjow shifted, lifting a knee until it was pressed firmly against Ichigo's groin as his tongue slipped across a dusky nipple.

"Mmm," Ichigo hummed, his body relaxing until Grimmjow lightly grazed his teeth over the hardened nub. Ichigo jerked, gasping, hands threading through Grimmjow's hair when his mouth moved and latched onto the neglected one.

Ichigo squirmed suddenly, hands pressing against Grimmjow's chest. "N-No," he protested softly.

The blue haired man stopped his ministrations, slowly rising to stare into hooded, hazy eyes. He pushed his knee forward, grinding it into Ichigo's erection, and the boy moaned, head moving back as his eyes fluttered closed.

"No?" Grimmjow challenged.

Carefully, Ichigo shook his head. "N-No. Not that." He swallowed.

Obviously, Grimmjow was missing something because the kid seemed pretty damn eager. So he leaned close to Ichigo's ear, letting his breath fan over it and watching the responsive shudder. "Then what, _Ichigo_?"

When Grimmjow glanced at Ichigo, those brown eyes were even darker, but it took a moment as that pink tongue darted out of his mouth to wet his lips. "Just hurry up already. S-Stop messing around."

The words sent lust shooting down Grimmjow's spine, and his eyes hardened as he stepped away from Ichigo, reaching into his nightstand and digging around for the small bottle of lube he always had. But before he continued, he stood just slightly away from Ichigo, not bothering to hide the desire in his eyes or the bulge in his jeans.

"You sure about this, kid?" He had to make sure.

Ichigo swallowed again, pink spreading across his cheeks before his eyes glowed determinedly and he pushed himself up until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. His hands found Grimmjow's hips and tugged the bigger man closer until he stood in between the boy's legs.

"Would you stop if I said no?" Ichigo murmured, one of his hands sliding across Grimmjow's jeans until he palmed his stiff erection.

Shivers tingled down Grimmjow's spine as his eyes closed and a groan rumbled in his chest. Ichigo's words registered slowly in his haze-filled mind, but when he found his breath, he looked directly into the boy's eyes.

"Do you want me to stop?"

Damn. With Ichigo's hand pressing his erection it was ridiculously hard to think let alone gather the control he'd need if Ichigo did indeed want him to stop.

"No," Ichigo said quietly but resolutely, tugging on Grimmjow's shirt again. The larger man didn't waste time. He hungrily devoured Ichigo's lips, using one hand to push the boy onto his back while the other gripped the bottle of lube with crushing strength.

Grimmjow trailed his hand down Ichigo's chest, keeping the boy's mouth occupied while he explored all the indentations of taut and toned muscle tensing and relaxing. Slowly, his death grip on the lube loosened until it fell noiselessly to the bed as both of Grimmjow's hands moved to undo the drawstring of Ichigo's borrowed sweatpants.

Ichigo hissed when air slipped over his erection, but his body quickly shuddered when Grimmjow traced his fingers over the bulging veins of Ichigo's cock. The boy tore his mouth away from Grimmjow's, throwing his head back and arching his body off of the bed, moaning loudly.

The blue haired man clenched his jaw. He'd never thought that someone could be so sensitive, but he supposed that being celibate for forty years could have that effect. Still, it was mesmerizing the way Ichigo would moan, and when Grimmjow's hand would make any sort of light touch, Ichigo's dick would twitch.

It wasn't as big as his own, but he still marveled at the searing heat and the weight of it. Besides, it was responding to _him_, and there was nothing better than that.

"S-Stop teasing!" Ichigo suddenly groaned, hands clenching sporadically as his chest rose and fell rapidly from panting. Grimmjow paused for a moment, looking at the debauched figure underneath him, but before he had time to process it, Ichigo had quickly moved. He was suddenly sitting up, hands hurriedly pulling Grimmjow's t-shirt off of his head and letting it fall elsewhere, forgotten.

His hands made quick work of Grimmjow's jeans as well, tugging them down as Grimmjow toed them off the rest of the way. Before he knew it, Ichigo's mouth had latched onto his neck, sucking, licking, and biting his way down. Grimmjow groaned, hands gripping the boy's hips.

The pleasurable haze in his mind blocked everything except his desire for more, so as Ichigo continued his exploration, Grimmjow somehow managed to squirt a bit of lube onto his fingers. One of his hands lightly crept up Ichigo's side while the other found his hole and ever so slowly circled around the outside.

Almost instantly, Ichigo's body stiffened, fingers digging into Grimmjow's shoulders as a lusty moan shuddered from Ichigo's mouth. Unconsciously, Ichigo's legs spread wider as the tip of his tongue brushed against Grimmjow's pectoral, and the blue haired man groaned, unable to hold back his shaking hand any longer as he plunged one slicked finger into the boy's entrance.

Ichigo jolted and he cried out, but it wasn't in pain. Those slim, tanned fingers were buried in Grimmjow's hair and tugging, but the sounds – oh, god the _sounds_ – assured him that Ichigo was definitely far from pain.

He was so far from control that Grimmjow wondered how he wasn't already sheathed inside that tight heat, but he knew he _had_ to prepare Ichigo. So, he carefully pistoned his finger in and out, listening to Ichigo's moans as best as he could while the boy tugged at his hair and licked and kissed and bit at his chest.

"More," Ichigo suddenly gasped. "One more. Please."

Really, this kid was going to be the fucking death of him.

But who was he to deny such a plea? He pushed another finger past that tight ring of muscle, slowly adding it and watching Ichigo clench around the two digits, barely hearing the moan as Ichigo suddenly thrust his hips, effectively sucking Grimmjow's fingers further inside of him.

Grimmjow panted, his dick straining as it pulsed and throbbed, wanting to be inside of Ichigo, to feel the heat and the tightness tugging at his cock.

He couldn't stand it anymore.

"Ichigo," he murmured, his voice coming out hoarse and thick with lust, but demanding as well. Ichigo just whimpered, lifting his hips in response, and Grimmjow took that as his cue.

He pulled his fingers out, Ichigo muttering something dejectedly at the loss as Grimmjow quickly slathered his length with lube. When he pressed his erection to Ichigo's entrance, the boy's muttering stopped, and Grimmjow could tell Ichigo was holding his breath.

Slowly, Grimmjow pushed the head through, then slowly sank into Ichigo. "Oh, fuck," he hissed, clenching his teeth, not expecting the boy to be _that_ tight. It clamped on his dick mercilessly, and he could barely keep himself from pounding into Ichigo. Finally, Grimmjow was fully seated, and he glanced down.

The boy's face was scrunched in pain, his breathing heavy and his fingers digging into Grimmjow's biceps with crushing force.

"Tell me when you're good," Grimmjow managed, letting his head drop when Ichigo carefully lifted his legs higher, sliding Grimmjow further inside that tight heat and making it clench around him.

"Ichi," Grimmjow warned. A small grunt issued from Ichigo's throat as one leg wrapped around Grimmjow's waist and the other joined it a moment later. Slowly, Ichigo moved his hips up, Grimmjow's cock bumping against Ichigo's walls.

A second later Ichigo gasped, back arching, and this time, Grimmjow knew that sound was one of pleasure.

"I'm gonna take that as a yes," Grimmjow grunted, and pulled back before sinking in. Ichigo winced slightly, but his brows were scrunched, like he couldn't decide whether he was in pain or pleasure.

Grimmjow pushed in again, faster this time, and Ichigo let out a cry. "Oh, god, Grimm, move! Move…faster…please!"

Just like that, Grimmjow obeyed, most of his strokes deep and penetrating, but others short and shallow that rocked Ichigo's hips with his. Ichigo was rolling his head, panting, legs squeezing around Grimmjow's waist and holding him there.

"Fuck," Ichigo panted, hips beginning to meet Grimmjow's thrusts, and suddenly, his entire body jerked. "Ohhh, there! There, Grimm!"

God, that heat kept sucking him in, like it never wanted him to leave, and he drove in again, watching the pleasure coil inside of Ichigo as he made sure to strike the spot that was causing the orange haired boy to make all those wonderful sounds.

"Ah, G-Grimm…I'm…c-close."

"Me, too, Ichi," he groaned, feeling those muscles already clenching around him, the pleasure rolling in his abdomen until he couldn't feel anything but that anymore. Quickly, he grabbed Ichigo's erection, pumping it in time with thrusts that had quickly become fast and erratic. New sounds keened out of Ichigo's mouth, and with a few more strokes, Ichigo came, ropes of milky-white semen shooting out to coat his and Ichigo's belly.

"Fuck, Ichi," Grimmjow growled, his own orgasm ripped from him as those muscles clenched around him and he released inside of Ichigo. His head dropped to a sweaty, tanned shoulder, Ichigo's harsh pants in his ear as he thrust shallowly, following his orgasm in a mock parody of what they'd just done.

Grimmjow's arms shook from keeping himself above Ichigo as every single one of his muscles seemed to melt into jelly. God, he hadn't had that good of an orgasm in forever.

He slowly pulled out of Ichigo, the boy's body shuddering when Grimmjow's softening cock slipped out of him with a soft pop. Grimmjow rolled onto his back, still panting, but staring at the ceiling, Ichigo in the exact same position next to him.

"That was…" Ichigo started, and Grimmjow felt a smirk erupt over his face.

"Wonderful? Amazing?"

A bright blush colored Ichigo's cheeks as he swatted at Grimmjow's shoulder. "I'm not feeding your ego."

"Too late."

Ichigo just huffed.

But a moment later, as Grimmjow thought over the things before, he blurted, "So, you never answered my question."

"Which one?" Ichigo sighed.

"The one about you turning to man and then back into a dog."

"O-Oh. That one."

"Yeah."

"Well?"

The orange haired boy ran a hand nervously through his hair. "Well, you know what she said: that'd I'd be a dog until I found someone I'd die for. When the guy cocked the gun, I ran. I had to get in front because maybe – just maybe – I'd make it there in time and save you, even if it cost me my life. Because…I couldn't see you die."

Ichigo rolled onto his side, and for some reason, Grimmjow reciprocated, only his arms wound around the orange haired boy's waist to pull him into his body. Ichigo gasped, but Grimmjow just tightened his arms.

"And?"

"Er…yeah. That's what did it. Realizing that I couldn't see you die, that I'd die _for_ you… The curse was broken. So I changed. But, I honestly, don't know how I managed to change back. I just remember begging, and it was getting harder and harder and harder to hold it when the police came and everything. I just barely managed to remain a dog until they left."

"Can you change back again?"

"No. No, I…can't. She only cursed me until now, I guess. Besides, I never had the ability to go back and forth from human to dog. I was _always_ a dog."

"I see."

"Uh, yeah."

Silence filled the room, and Grimmjow felt Ichigo shift uncomfortably. He sighed. "So. You love me, eh?"

He could almost _hear_ Ichigo blush. "I… I guess so. I mean, I was willing to put my life on the line for Rukia and my other friends, but when I saw the gun pointed at you…"

"So you love me?"

Ichigo nodded slowly, his voice coming out small and unsure when he spoke next. "I do, but…can we… Is there any way we could…make sure?"

"What do you mean?" Grimmjow had an idea, but he wanted Ichigo to say it first. Besides, Grimmjow knew he was a far cry from being in love with Ichigo at the moment; after all, sure he'd known him for about three weeks, but that was Ichigo the dog. If he was going to love someone he'd have to know them, and that would be Ichigo the man.

Suddenly, it seemed as if Ichigo gathered his courage. "I want to stay with you, to be with you, to make sure that… Well, I guess to make sure I love you, but also because… I want you to love me, too."

Grimmjow felt himself smile. A true smile, and he hadn't truly smiled in a while. This kid was special. "Yeah. Of course, Ichi."

And the orange haired boy quickly turned around, eyes wide in shock and disbelief until the words combined with his view of Grimmjow's face clicked in his brain. Then, the most amazing smile stretched Ichigo's lips, showing his brilliant white teeth.

It stopped his heart.

The blue haired man gulped slightly. He had never seen anything so mesmerizing, and from seeing that scowl on Ichigo's face, he knew the boy rarely smiled.

His hand found Ichigo's cheek. "Beautiful," he murmured, then punctuated the statement by lightly capturing Ichigo's lips.

Oh, yes. This was what he wanted.

00000

**A/N:** Whoo-hoo! Finally done! This chapter was fun to write, although it always seems like just before the sex scene I stop, and I can only write it bit by bit at a time until I fucking finish it lol. Speaking of which, I must say that's probably the most detailed sex scene I've written… Go figure the part I'm excited about the most decides to be the most difficult to write =/. lol Aaaaand on a second note, just in case my other readers read this too, this notice goes out to everyone!

- wolf's paradise

**NOTICE:** Make sure to vote for my poll guys! I wanna know what you think! And if you wanna watch a good vid, look up **Ichigo/Hollow Ichigo – Faceless** on youtube. It's by **chakrabender46**, and I love it since I made it myself! Hope you guys check it out and enjoy it! Also, check out my new video **IchiRuki vs GrimmIchi – Diary of Jane**.


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